Wifi

Overview

The F256K needs extra hardware to talk to Wifi.

Be aware that in the retro scene, there are broadly two types of connectivity,

1. Via [1]. This is supported by the F256K kernel.

2. Via Hayes commands (AT commands). This is currently not supported by the F256K kernel.

Here are some options to get your F256K system connected,

1. Install a Feather wifi board onto the F256K motherboard. (Now available as an order option - then Stefany will install it)

2. Use a Null Modem Cable to connect the DB9 port to a linux box, and configure SLIP on the linux box. (technicality: this is not wifi, but you will have network.)

3. Connect to an external device via the DB9 serial port. If the device ships with a Hayes firmware, you would need to replace it with a slip firmware.

Then, you need to verify connectivity.

Device configuration

Configuring a Feather wifi-module (on motherboard)

xxx Needs detail

Null modem cable to a linux box offering slip

Have not done this yet. Gadget advises,

• "if you have a networked linux box just sitting next to your F256, and a spare serial port on it, you can use slattach to create a SLIP interface, set up a route to it, set the "route packets" option in /proc (I forget where), and tell arp to advertise that you are a router for the SLIP IP(s)."
• To follow the guide at https://nslu2-linux.yahoogroups.narkive.com/CQpBi1gD/slip-over-usbserial
• "Also, if you're just sanity checking things and don't need the F256 to be able to reach the outside world (just software on your linux box), you don't need to do the ARP and /proc/net/ip_forward steps."

xxx needs detail

External hardware modem (via DB9 serial)

TheOldNet device

This ships with a Hayes firmware. In the Discussion page here, I have posted some setup instructions. These may be useful later. But at the time of writing those instructions are not useful for us, because F256K does not support Hayes.

There will be a way to install a SLIP firmware on these, but I have not yet tried that.

Verify connectivity

xxx needs detail